Friday

 The second week of school is coming to a close. So far, Robby and Timmy are happy with their placements. Scott continues to be miserable but I am hoping that is starting to change. Slowly he is starting to reference coworkers and share stories about his day. I continue to hope that he will find a different placement within the school. He would be much happier if he were both physically safe and utilizing his 30+ years experience. At the moment, neither of those conditions has been met.

This weekend's Space Fair has been circled on our calendar for about 4 months. Timmy has been eagerly counting down and is beyond excited that the time has finally arrived. Fingers crossed that the weather holds out to allow for clear viewing through the telescopes. My little star gazer is very excited to peak at the planets. We don't have a lot of luck with clear weather and space themed activities but I am optimistic that we are due for some good luck. 

Have a great weekend! 

Gutted

 I've been trying to remain optimistic, but it is a struggle. It feels like we get the rug pulled out from us every time we dare to hope. Although I still love the house, it feels like West Virginia is where happiness goes to die. Despite all of his qualifications, Scott did not receive the coveted position and he is gutted. 

We were really hoping that this position would materialize so Scott could transfer from his current role. With this option being taken off the table, we have both been trying to sort through different scenarios. The one thing we know for certain is that we cannot continue in the current situation. Scott will end up getting physically hurt. I'm optimistic about the results of my interview but I'm almost too nervous to hope at this point.  

 Adulting is hard!

Progress? Maybe!

 Things are moving along in our little family.  On Friday Scott graduated from cardiac rehabilitation, marking the end of his 'recovery' period. Now we are in maintenance and monitoring, which feels like such progress. I am so happy to not have to go to the cardiac care center three times a week. Although I wasn't working out like Scott, I dreaded going because it was a concrete reminder of our vulnerability. It will be nice to ease into our healthier lifestyle.

Robby came home for the holiday weekend. Although he has only been away for a few days, I have missed him and it was nice to see his face. It turns out that he is incredibly lucky because the roommate he was assigned never materialized. My kiddo has a double dorm room to himself! We spent the weekend gathering supplies so that he could transform the spare bed into a lounge area. (This is precisely what I would have done in the same situation.)

This morning Scott woke early and logged into an interview before heading to work. He is being considered for a position that would, in my opinion, be perfect for his skill set. Please send good thoughts. He has been utterly miserable in his current role. 

 

Happy News

 After a summer of schlepping to and from the hospital, today is Scott's final cardio rehab session. He has been giving the therapy his all and the results are showing his efforts. He has dropped both weight and cholesterol levels and gained strength and endurance. He plans on continuing his fitness routine at a local gym that is much closer to our house (and not affiliated with a hospital.)  While I know that we will continue to live with cardiac issues and the omnipresent threat of another event, graduating from cardiac rehab is a huge step in his recovery.  

In more good news (which has been in short supply), Scott finally received the much anticipated call for an interview for the new position. He will interview Tuesday morning at 7:30. I am hoping that he is selected for the role. Not only will the students benefit from his experience, but he will be so much happier. Have I mentioned the depths of his misery in his current role?

 

Happy and Sad

 Timmy had an amazing first day of school. For the first time in his educational career, neither of us shed tears on the first day of school. Talk about an accomplishment! After the obligatory "I don't want to go to school" laments, Timmy and Friend happily settled into their school day routine. Within moments of his logging on I heard laughter and giggles coming from the classroom. Compared to the wailing and tears from previous years, I felt victorious.

Unfortunately Scott continues to struggle to reach 'tolerable' when describing his new job. The details are scant simply because he refuses to communicate about the school or his new charge. I'm at a loss, but I know that we can't go the entire school year with him this miserable. I'm still holding onto hope for the other position, but at this point I need to start considering alternatives.  

Adulting is not fun!

 

Cheering

 I spent the entire day cleaning and prepping the 'school' room for the new academic year. I wanted Timmy to have a completely fresh start in a new space curated especially for him. It took me all afternoon, but I am proud of the results and excited for him to use it in the coming months. This is the first time has a completely decorated room just for school, and I think he is going to love the autonomy!

 Unfortunately, the desk that I needed for his room was still in the basement. Undeterred, I set out to move the it myself. Timmy, eager to help, asked what he could do to assist. I asked him to help me steer the desk as I pull it up the stairs. It took me about 30 seconds to realize that Timmy had misheard me. Instead of steering the desk, he set out to cheer me on. He began to clap, laud praise and encouragement as he watched me schlep his desk up two flights of stairs.  He was the best little cheerleader, offering the highest praise as being "almost as strong as Aunt Sheri." 

Today Timmy begins his new academic adventure. The teachers and many classmates remain the same, but the technology and the name of the school have changed. He is nervous but I know that he is going to thrive. Out of all of our 'first days' so far, this one has me the least stressed.

While I'm not worried about Timmy or Robby, my heart continues to hurt for Scott. He is absolutely miserable at his job. We haven't heard about the other positions, so we are trying to remain optimistic. 

Fingers crossed!

 

 

School

Robby is settling into his room and the new school year. His roommate never materialized, allowing him more room to spread out. Talk about a lucky kid! He has a double room all to himself. I think we are going to make another run to visit him this weekend to take him shopping for supplies to turn the spare bed into a study zone/ lounge. 

While Robby is enjoying school, Scott is definitely struggling. Returning to work after retirement is difficult and exhausting. Everything is compounding because he is still working through his cardio rehab program and recovering. He is swirling in a whirlpool of misery, and I am helpless to lend any assistance or help. I am hoping beyond hope that he is selected for a position he was approached about last week. ( I recognize that this is cryptic, and I apologize.) If he were to be offered the other position, I believe that his mood would instantly shift. 

Today Timmy and I are focusing on cleaning up his classroom for the upcoming year. It is going to be a herculean task. Thankfully I have a new audio book and hours of time.  Wish me luck!